Security light on the cluster..

[LukeZ34]

Anyone know exactly what this light's purpose is? From time to time it'll come on shortly after I start the car, and then go off 5-10 minutes later. Doesn't cause any problems with the drivability of the car, but it'd be nice to know why it does this. Anyone know?

[NORBI]

I think that light comes up when you try to put a different key into a ignition or when your chip on the key has something wrong with it. I think that light may cause your car not start for about 3 minutes.

[Guest TurboSedan]

i noticed that light too, but mine never has come on. i just thought it was some sort of security option for the CS from the factory, alarm or whatever. i'm not sure what year car my digital cluster came from tho.

 

btw, i just noticed the other day that my car will sound the seatbelt bell repeatedly if i have my turn signals on for too long.

 

.....cool

 

joshua

[NORBI]

They have that remainder that your blinker is on for more then half a mile, a lot of newer cars have that in case you forget to turn off your blinker

[Guest TurboSedan]

ha that's how i noticed it - i was on the interstate at the time....

joshua

[godofthunder]

The bell actually has been with olds for a while. My old ciera (88) had it too. I riped it out, since one of the exits i always took made it go off.

 

The security light has to do w ith the keys. In my 96, i dont know your year, do you have like a peice of metal in the middle of the key? Thats the secrrity thing. I think its like if it doesnt find that, somethign happens. The light could just be random going off though.

 

I got one for you? What Does LOW TRAC mean. ANd i know it means low traction, but do we have traction control or something? It only happens when i brake, not spin tires

 

Jon

[cutlassdude96]

low trac is your abs working

[godofthunder]

But what about ABS? I have an ABS light that comes on when ABS kicks in and the brakes start shakng. No shaking with this, juust a notbile loss of trac. only when braking.

 

Jon

 

PS - Did any W-bodeis come with traction conrtoll?

[cutlassdude96]

My low trac goes off when abs goes off

[godofthunder]

See, mine doesnt. When the ABS light went off, the Low Trac didnt (double checked on purpose). When the low trac went of tongiht (wanted to show my brother, so i braked on ice), no ABS light.

 

Jon

[cutlassdude96]

what year of car do you have :?:

[godofthunder]

1996 Cutlass Supreme, Series III

 

 

Jon

[JPaganel]

On my 1990 Cutlass the Security light is where I put the diode from the aftermarket alarm (I replaced it with the RadioShack superbright white one), so it blinks when the alarm is on and shows me alarm codes.

[Brian P]

thats awesome, thats what I wanted to do with my car, but the 6 gauge cluster doesnt have the security light!

[GnatGoSplat]

The security light is for VATS - GM's Vehicle Anti Theft system.

There's actually code for it in the MEMCAL all the way back to '88, but it's not enabled. I guess GM had intended for the cars to have VATS enabled at some point because the '90 base cluster had an unusued SECURITY indicator and my '89 owner's manual shows a gauges cluster with a SECURITY indicator. The actual gauges cluster in my '89 doesn't have the SECURITY indicator silkscreened on it, but it does have the traces on the circuit board for it.

All VATS does is disable the engine if the ECM doesn't see the appropriate signal on the VATS input wire.

VATS was unimplemented for a long time, 88-93 I think. I believe 94 was the first year VATS was enabled, and it was hooked up to the Passkey system so if your key doesn't have the appropriate resistor on it, the Passkey module will trip the VATS.

 

BTW, I did something similar with my alarm. I don't have the SECURITY indicator so I used the SHIFT indicator and used a black paint pen to mark out the arrow. Then I used one of those bright red jumbo 10mm LEDs from Radio Shack in it. When the alarm is armed, the outline of the shift indicator blinks in red. Kinda neat looking actually.

[godofthunder]

Shawn, do you know what low trac could be?

 

Is it that part of the key that sends the code to the ECM to tell its all ok? Caus I have been looking into actually putting a push button ignition in my car for the shits and giggles. Dad and i were going to wire it to the starer. You would get in the car and turn the key to on, then hit the button on the dash to fire her up.

 

Jon

[GnatGoSplat]

Low trac means the ABS computer is detecting wheel slip. If you have your foot on the brake, the ABS would kick in. If you don't, nothing happens, but the ABS computer lets you know you lost traction anyway. These cars don't have traction control enabled, although they very well could have if the ABS computer supported it. Only the gen 2 W-bodies actually have TCS available.

 

Yes, the little chip thing on the key is a resistor of a certain value, and it's what tells the ECM that all is OK. To wire in a pushbutton start, you'll have to trick the Passkey system by getting some resistors and duplicating the resistor value that's on the key. Then put those resistors across the wires that go to the Passkey module.

[godofthunder]

What i Just had the key in the ignition, turned to on, and then pressed the button. The button would operate the starter motor, like when you turn the key to start. The car would have the go-ahead, so it could use the starter.

 

I have no clue why i want to do this, because It woudl actually take more time to start the car. I just guess it wuold be kinda different.

 

Jon

[GnatGoSplat]

If you have the key in the ignition, I think you would be fine.

Although if you already have the key in the ignition, it definitely seems silly to have a pushbutton to start.

 

Pushbutton start would be best for a keyless ignition.

 

I think the Cadillac XLR has a cool keyless pushbutton start. If I remember right, I think you carry around a key FOB that can generate an encrypted/encoded signal that the car picks up. So as long as you have the key FOB on you, you can push the button to start the car.

I think it might have keyless locks that work the same way.

[LukeZ34]

Thanks guys.. I was already familar with the whole Passkey security.. but it just seems odd that the car will start and run fine, yet the security light will be on.. The first time it happened I was waiting for the car to shut itself off, lol

[gimp19]

Is there any way to get passkeys copied?

 

 

 

 

btw: Does anyone know the purpose for the shift up light on my dash?

[cutlassdude96]

you have to go to the dealer to get the keys made. The shift up light is for manual trans. cars. It inicates when to shift.